Film cassette

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a substantially lighttight film cassette into which a length of exposed photographic medium may be incrementally inserted through a slot. A pliable guide medium having a low coefficient of friction, a width not exceeding that of the film cassette, and a length of the order of the crosssectional perimeter of the film cassette is attached to the film cassette for guiding and expediting the insertion of the exposed photographic medium. The medium is inserted into the cassette by external advancing means which advance the medium in controlled increments.

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[54] lFiilLM CAFfilElTE 3,341,146 9/1967 Fairbanks: Wilt/7M s 72inventor: llllnmry litnlla, Fairport, mt. 3288'389 11/19 Ch 242m 3 [73]Assignee; The Singer Cnmzpnny Primary Examiner-l-1ichard A. SchncherAtt0meyGeorge W. Killian, Patrick J. Schlesinger, llharles [22] Wed: WmR. Lepchinsky and Jay M. Cantor [21] Appl. No.1 32,tlll2 [57]AE-lEB'lllitAlC'li [52} no. tit. ..226/l%, 206/46 FM, 206/52 F There isdisclosed a stantially lighttight :film camsette mm 242/711 which alength of exposed photographic medium may he in- 51 11m. e: new newmentally imam l-hmugh a A pliable Ema medium [58] 15mm March 206/62 59 E59 F 46 FM having a low coefficient of friction, a width not exceedingthan? 206/52 250/68. 5 .5 1 8 of the film cassette, and a length of theorder ofthe cross-Bee tional perimeter of the film cassette is attachedto the film cas & sette for guiding and expediting the insertion of theexposed [56] Eflmemea mm photographic medium. The medium is insertedinto the eas- U I D STATES E S sette by external advancing means whichadvance the medium in controlled increments. 1,694,401 12/1928 Slocum..242/7l.l 1,930,335 10/1933 Bommann ..206/52 F ii Elnims, I2 Drain/linglFignnen PAIENTEDFEBZQ m2 INVENWJR.

HARRY RAB AGENT ll llllM EIASSHETTIE l ill ttjltllllfllllillll OlF Tl-lEINVENTRUN The invention finds particular utility in an applicationwherein an indeterminate length of a flexible photographic medium iswithdrawn from a supply source, exposed in an appropriate manner, andinserted into a lighttight cassette for subsequent transportation of theexposed photographic medium to a darltroom where the photographic mediumis removed from the cassette and developed in a well-known manner.

SlJl /lMARY UlF THE lNVENTlON The invention finds particular utility inan application wherein the length of the photographic medium that isemployed and inserted into the cassette is of a variable length. Thatis, it may be used in a machine wherein, in a first situation, a givenlength of the photographic medium may be used and wherein, in asubsequent use of the machine, times the given length of photographicmedium may be required. A typical application might include the takingof identification-type photographs with the photographic medium advancedan appropriate amount, after the taking of each photograph, so that theexposed medium is inserted into the cassette. When it is convenient, thephotographic medium could be cut and the cassette removed andtransported, together with its contents, to the darltroom forphotographic processing of the photographic medium. in anotherapplication, the invention might be used in connection with aphototypesetter wherein the text is exposed onto the photographic mediumin a well-known manner and after all of the desired text has beenphotographed character-by-charactcr or line'by-line onto thephotographic medium, the photographic medium may be cut and the cassettecontaining the exposed photographic medium talten to the darkroom forthe usual processing.

Other types of applications will readily occur to those who have thenecessary training and experience.

Although the present invention is described in terms of a cassette intowhich a length of photographic medium is in serted, it will be obviousthat the cassette might also be used for the insertion and temporarystorage of any medium which has the necessary characteristics offlexibility and stiffness.

There are numerous techniques in the prior art which disclose theremoval of a flexible medium from a supply reel and the storage of thematerial so removed in some convenient manner. For example, in theubiquitous typewriter the typewriter ribbon is removed from a supplytee] and wound on a takeup reel. And in most cameras, the film isunwound from a supply reel and wound on a talteup reel, in a similarmanner, magnetic tape is removed from a supply reel and wound on atakeup reel. in some situations the medium withdrawn from the supplyreel is stuffed into some type of container. In such situations, thecontainer is usually quite large and the material is allowed to disposeitscli in the container in a random fashion. Such methods, althoughentirely satisfactory for certain types of applications, have thedisadvantages of requiring a relatively large receiving container, andof the possibility of damaging the film or tape inserted therein byallowing a crease or ltinlt to form. Disadvantages of a takeup reel arethat it is necessary to attach the leading and of the material beingremoved from the supply reel to the talceup reel, and means must heprovided to rotate the talteup reel. The use oi a power driven talreupreel has the advantage that the medium is pulled from the supply reeland wound onto the talreup reel. However, with this system it requires arather sophisticated mechanical structure to advance the medium inprecise increments.

The present invention discloses a means for withdrawing a flexiblemedium from a supply source. in the normal situation the flexible mediumwill have been wound about a cylindrical hub and therefore the mediumwill be predisposed to arrange itself in a spiral fashion when it iswithdrawn from the source and inserted into a suitable container. Thecontainer, or cassette, of the present invention comprises an enclosurh'" it suitable dimensions and includes a slot through n medium isinserted. The natural curl of the materia an to encourage the materialto position itself in. A within the cassette. However, the leading edgeof the ucould easily catch in one corner and thereby prr: .nt tit mationof the spiral, or coll, and/or cause b material as additional materialis increments through the slot. in addition the weight of the materialfriction thereof against the internal surfaces or the car could producesuch a resistance to the insertion cl add material that buckling wouldresult. To minirr these detrimental tendencies a permanently at acid npl guide is included within the cassette and has one tioned near theslot so that the photographic medium Him through the slot is guided bythe permanently associated pliable guide. The flexible guide ispreferably made of a material such as the material sold under the tradename Tetlon which has a low coefficient of friction. Accordingly, as thephotographic medium is inserted into the cassette through the slot, itis guided by the permanently pliable or flexible medium and thereby theinserted medium encounters a minimum hictional resistance therebyallowing the insertion oil" a greater length of the photographic medium.

From the foregoing brief description, it will be apparent that an objectof the invention is to provide a new and improved film cassette.

it is a more specific object of the invention to provide a new andimproved cassette into which a medium may be incrementally inserted.

it is another object of the invention to provide a cassette having aninternal guide means for guiding a medium it is inserted and forencouraging the inserted medium to assume a spiral form.

llt is another object of the invention to provide a cassette into whicha medium may be incrementally inserted while on countering a minimumfrictional resistance.

it is another object of this invention to provide a cassette having theforegoing enumerated advantages and into which a greater length ofmedium may be incrementally inserted than was possible with prior artcassettes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be ap parent as thefollowing description proceeds and the chemo teristics which comprisethe novel aspects of the invention will be defined in the claims annexedto and forming a part of this specification. The invention will be bestunderstood when considered in connection with the following descriptiontalten together with the accompanying drawing which discloses theprinciples of the invention and a preferred means for carrying it out.

BRTEF DESCRTPTTON OF THE DllAWll lG in the drawing,

FlG. l is a perspective view of the cassette together with a typical setof roller means for incrementally inserting a flexible medium such as aphotographic medium into the cassett and FlG. 2 is a cross-sectionalview of HG. ll talten along the line 2-2 of FIG. l and showing thepliable guiding medium associated with the cassette. As is customary, a.given fluent is identified with the same reference number in all views.

DESCRIPTTON OF THE PREFERRED Eli/lBUDlll/llihl'l' inserted into thecassette Mil) through an entry slot 102 (more clearly seen in H6. 2).The medium llilll may have a width of any convenient value up to that ofthe internal width of the cassette litlb. The width is normally at leastas wide as that of the medium M31. The medium llfll is inserted into thecassette 1% through entry slot MP2 by an incremental frictional drivecomprising rollers 103, Mi l and M35. in the illustrated application,the rollers m3, 104 and 105 have their respective centerlines at thevertices of an isosceles triangle. More specifically rollers 1103 and1041 are not allowed to contact each other as they rotate in the samedirection. When the photographic medium HM has been inserted between therollers 103, NM- and 105 in the manner shown in FIG. 1, the photographicmedium 1M will be firmly held by a pinching action between rollers H05and E03 and also between 105 and M94. To facilitate the insertion of themedium 101 between the rollers 1G3, 104 and 105 means (not shown) may beprovided to move the rollers H03, 104', and/or 105 relative to eachother. After insertion of the medium 101 and restoration of the rollersW3, CHM and 165 to their operative positions if one or more of therollers W3 and TM is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow onthese rollers, the photographic medium 1011 will be advanced in anupward direction as viewed in FIG. 1. Alternatively or additionally, theroller 105 may be power driven about its axis in a direction opposite tothat shown by the arrow on rollers T03 and 104 to implement an advanceof the photographic medium toward the cassette wt Obviously alternatemeans might be used to advance the photographic medium 101 for insertinglengths thereof in the cassette Mill. For example, a photographic medium101 might be used which has sprocket holes (not shown) near its outeredges which would engage an appropriate set of sprocket wheels (notshown). Although such technique would serve the function, it suffersfrom the disadvantage of requiring a specially prepared photographicmedium 101 and limits the width of the photographic medium Hill whichmay be used and/or requires means for accurately adjusting thespaced-apart distance of the sprocket gears for driving the photographicmedium 101. Other types of drive means might also be used, for example,pinch rollers which grasp the outer edges of the medium 101. Othertechniques which may be implemented according to the requirements of theparticular application will readily occur to those who may be interestedin using the cassette ml) of the present invention.

The cassette 100 has a lid E06 which fits the cassette 1% tight enoughto make a satisfactory light seal but loose enough that it may bereadily removed in order to have access to the length of photographicmedium Iiilll inserted into the cassette MW. Dimple 107 on the lid M36serves to help hole the lid M36 securely to the cassette lltlil. Whenthe cassette Jill is used for the storage of an unexposed photographicmedium 10E, the cassette lltlll would normally have an overall flatblack finish to eliminate or minimize the possibility of any lightreflection. The cassette iili) comprises end lllt) and an opposite endllll as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively. The cassette MN) also has afront portion E12 and a rear portion M3 as well as a bottom Hi4. As maybe readily envisioned, the main part of the cassette Mill may be madefrom two pieces of sheet metal cut and formed in an appropriate manner.More specifically, the ends 1149 and ill! together with the front 112would comprise one of the parts while the back H3 and bottom H4 wouldcomprise the other part. in addition, it should be observed that thesecond-named part also includes an upstanding face i115 which takentogether with the front 112 forms the entry slot 102 into which thephotographic medium 1M may be inserted. Furthermore, the part includingthe back 2113 and bottom 1M also has flanges 116, R17 and ills which maybe fastened to the end walls lit) and ill by any appropriate means, suchas, spot welding, braising, or soldering. it should be obvious that thecassette Hi8 could be formed by any other convenient and appropriateassembly of sheet metal parts. Furthermore, if desired, the cassettetilt? could have a crosssectional geometry which is other than square orrectangular.

For example, the cassette 1100 could have a circular cross sec- "st fortion or any other shaped cross section which is conreni the applicationunder consideration it is desirable that nterior of the cassette res befashioned in a manner to minimize any rough surfaces, obstructions,projections, or eiements which would interfere with the insertion of thephotographic medium 191.

As will be seen in FIGS. l and 2, the front face 112 has a portionthereof bent over to form a lip E20 which provides a function to bedescribed more fully hereinafter.

if an attempt were made to insert a photographic medium 1M into thecassette M30 as thus far described, it is believed that it is fairlyobvious that there would be a tendency for the leading edge of thephotographic medium iltiill to catnh in one or more of the corners i211,1122, R23, and E2 3 and thereby cause a buckling of the photographicmedium 11M and quite possibly a damage to the medium rm. Although around cross-sectional geometry of the cassette 11% might somewhat reducethe tendency for the photographic medium H011 to be caught in corners,it is believed that such shape would not entirely eliminate problems andin addition such shape would be more expensive to manufacture. Forexample with a round cross section the area of contact between theinterior sSrfaces of the cassette and the photographic medium Mill wouldbe increased thereby providing a greater frictional area and thus agreater force would be required to insert the photographic medium wl.This would increase the tendency for the photographic medium 101 tobuckle at some point on the cassette side of the rollers 1'03, MM andM85. To overcome the cited difiiculties, prior art cassettes haveattempted to utiiize a plurality of light flexible metalic guide fingerswithin the interior of the cassette 316M). Such guide fingers haveserved a function but have not been entirely satisfactory because theymight be easily bent during the removal of the photographic medium inthe darkroom. Accordingly, there is disclosed herein a new and improvedpliable guide means for guiding the photographic medium 101 as it isinserted into the cassette we and which is not likely to be damagedduring handling of the cassette 100 in the photographic darkroom.

In order to guide the collection of the photographic medium mil withinthe cassette 106), there is provided a guide member 126 which comprisesa relatively thin sheet of a pliable or flexible medium which has a lowcoefficient of friction and which has a width which may be anything upto the width of the cassette 1%, and a length which is of the order ofthe cross-sectional perimeter of the cassette MM). Furthermore, theguide member is chosen from a group of materials which has a lowcoefficient of friction. A material sold under the trade name Teflon hassuitable characteristics. if the material selected for use as the guidemember 126 has a grain, the grain should be arranged in the direction ofmotion of the photographic medium lltlll. That is, the grain of theguide member i6 1: should be parallel to the length of the guide member12b. As already stated, the length of the guide member 1126 isapproximately equal to the cross-sectional perimeter of the cassettemil. As will be seen, the guide member 126 is secured at only one endand has a loose end 127. The secured end is secured to lip 1120 by meansof a clamping plate T29 and a plurality of fasteners 130. From thesecured end 123 of the guide member 126, the guide member 126 passesthrough slot W2 and is loosely disposed within the interior of cassetteilt'lil. Although the guide member 126 is pliable or flexible, it is notlimp and it will tend to dispose itself within the interior of thecassette 1100 somewhat in the manner shown in H6. 2.

By a simple means not shown, the rollers 1635, MM- and res may be movedapart in order to permit the placement of the photographic medium 161therebetween. The cassette Mid is supported by any suitable means (notshown) which maintains the slot 102 of cassette MN) parallel to andslightly above the line where the photographic medium llhll leavescontact with rollers 103 and 105. in normal operation, the leading endof the photographic medium PM would be manually inserted into the slotM92. Thereafter, the entire chamber (not shown) its which contains thecassette llt'llll, tie rollers lllllfil, lltld and llld, thephotographic medium l l, and the supply of the photographic medium llllwill he closed to exclude the entry of any light. Thereafter, one ormore of the rollers lltllil, llll l and W will be power driven in anappropriate direction to insert some oil the photographic medium tillthrough the slot ltlfl into the cassette lltlll. A sufficient length ol"the photographic medium is so transported into the cassette ll'llll asto assure that an unexposed portion of the photographic medium llhll hasbeen placed in an appropriate position for controlled exposure. Suchappropriate position will normally be at some point below the rollerlltld where the photographic medium lltlll is held by means not shown inthe desired plane to provide the sharpest image on the medium lllltl.Subsequent to the exposure ol the last image which it is desired to haveplaced on the photographic medium lliil, one or more of the rollerslltlll, llll'tl and lltlfi will he power driven to insert at least allof the exposed portion of the medium lltDll into the cassette lltltl. inad dition, it is obvious that one or more of the rollers W35, lltld andwill he incrementally and periodically rotated, as may he required, toprovide unexposed photographic medium Mill at the position where theimage to be recorded is to he optically produced. When all of theexposed medium till has been inserted into the cassette lllllll, thechamber containing the cats sette and the supply of photographic mediumlllllll is opened and, by any convenient means, the photographic mediumMill is cut to separate the supply thereof from that which has beeninserted into the cassette Normally such cut would he made between theroller ill? and the entry slot W2. After the medium ltlll has been cut,the entire cassette may he removed from the chamber in which it had beencontained and the cansette together with the exposed photographic mediumllllll transported to the darkroom where the medium llllll containedtherein may he removed after opening the cassette Mill, by removal ofthe top tilt: from the cassette llttl). Thereafter the photographicmedium lltlll may he developed in the welllrnown manner. it desired,immediately after the removal of the cassette a second cassette llt hcould be placed in the appropriate position within the chamber and theprocess prcviousl y desciih ed be repeated.

As may be seen in Fit). 2, the entry of the medium lllll through theslot lllllfl: into the czuisette lllltl causes the medium till to be incontact with a portion of the guide number 112415 and the upstandingface lllh" of the cassette lllll. if desired, a piece ol materialsimilar to that used for the guide member llld could he placed on theentry slot side of upstanding face llti so that entering medium Frilldoes not contact anything but material similar to that of guide memberllfrh which has a very low coehicicnt of friction. As the medium lllllenters the through the slot lllfl, it will he guided by guide memberlilo away from each ol the corners Ilflll, T124, and in the normalapplication, the supply of photographic medium llllt will be wound on asupply spool and therefore, there will he a natural tendency for thephotographic medium lt i to dispose itself in a spiral configuration.The photographic medium lltil used and the direction which it facesshould be so selected that the medium Mill will naturally tend todispose itself in a spiral fashion 21 shown in lFlG. L2. This wouldnormally mean that the emulsion side of the medium llt'ill would l'acethe ccnterline of the spiral termed by the medium lltlll. it should heunderstood that it is not necessarily required dint the natural diameteror" the spiral formed by the medium till be less than the distancebetween the front and rear laces and of the cassette The low coetlicicntof friction between the medium lllll and the guide member the willpermit the easy insertion of the member llhl into the cassette llllltlwithout the use of excessive force and thereby greatly reduce thetendency of the medium lltlll to hucltle either inside or outside of thecassette llltt. It is recommended that the medium ltlll be inserted intothe cassette from the bottom as illustrated in Flt as it believed thatthis geometry will cause the least interference v sertion ol' the mediumM2 and thereby pe a greater total length at" the medium l shown thatmany more feet of the int satisfactorily inserted into the cassette lllhrequired in a typica application.

In the event that through mishandling or l member llEd should bedamaged, it is obvious replaced by the removal of fasteners am 12) torelease end ol the guide member a new guide member lite may he ins clmanner already described.

While there been shown and t sidered at present to he the preferred ervention, modifications thereto will i" skilled in the related arts. Forexampl the medium being inserted into the casual. co through an upper orside slot rather than a iovw the cross-sectional geometry of thecassette it is believed that no further analysis or dos. vention isrequired and that the foregoing so gist of the present invention thatthose shilled in l. related arts can adapt it to meet the e: geucio andparticular requirements.

What is claimed is:

l. A cassette for receiving an elongated fie-iii and having:

a. end walls and sides;

b. a first opening means for providing access to the i of said cassette;

c. a second opening between said end wall tor provir. admittance openingfor said elongated heidhlc in and d. a pliable guide member disposedinside said ca...

having:

(1) a low coefficient of friction, (2) widt than the distance betweensaid end we. of the order of the cross-sectiona opening for controllingand g elongated flexible medium as it is admitted u sette through saidsecond opening.

2. The combination as set forth in claim l and lllt drive means forincrementally inserting lengths of said more gated flexible medium intosaid cassette.

3. The combination as set forth in claim and who elongated flexiblemedium may comp an undcvelo photographic medium and wherein said firstand openings are substantially lighttight.

t. The combination as set forth in claim l. is second opening isdisposed near a lower edge of 5. A cassette of the type into which a lcnmedium is incrementally inserted through an positioned opening in saidcassette, die comhin cassette and said opening of a pliable guide it.manently affixed to said cassette atone end on low coefficient offriction and a length approxli the cross-sectiona perimeter oi said cwithin said cassette for guiding and directing the l medium as it iscollected in said cassette.

e. The combination set forth in claim 55 d inch. second opening forproviding access to the inter 1r ol settle.

7. The combination as set forth in claim d wher named opening isdisposed near a lower ol" s.

ll. The comhination m set forth in claim 3" i flexible medium maycomprise an undeveloped pl medium and wherein said first-named opcnin,second opening are substantially lighttight.

1. A cassette for receiving an elongated flexible medium and having: a.end walls and sides; b. a first opening means for providing access tothe interior of said cassette; c. a second opening between said end wallfor providing an admittance opening for said elongated flexible medium;and d. a pliable guide member disposed inside said cassette and having:(1) a low coefficient of friction, (2) a width not greater than thedistance between said end walls, (3) a leNgth of the order of thecross-sectional perimeter of said cassette, (4) one free end and, (5)having the other end attached to said cassette in the vicinity of saidsecond opening for controlling and guiding the entry of said elongatedflexible medium as it is admitted to said cassette through said secondopening.
 2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 and including drivemeans for incrementally inserting lengths of said elongated flexiblemedium into said cassette.
 3. The combination as set forth in claim 2and wherein said elongated flexible medium may comprise an undevelopedphotographic medium and wherein said first and second openings aresubstantially lighttight.
 4. The combination as set forth in claim 3wherein said second opening is disposed near a lower edge of saidcassette.
 5. A cassette of the type into which a length of flexiblemedium is incrementally inserted through an appropriately positionedopening in said cassette, the combination with said cassette and saidopening of a pliable guide member permanently affixed to said cassetteat one end only and having a low coefficient of friction and a lengthapproximately equal to the cross-sectional perimeter of said cassetteand disposed within said cassette for guiding and directing the saidflexible medium as it is collected in said cassette.
 6. The combinationas set forth in claim 5 and including a second opening for providingaccess to the interior of said cassette.
 7. The combination as set forthin claim 6 wherein said first-named opening is disposed near a loweredge of said cassette.
 8. The combination as set forth in claim 7 andwherein said flexible medium may comprise an undeveloped photographicmedium and wherein said first-named opening and said second opening aresubstantially lighttight.